The setting sun
by Infieri
Summary: She had seen the world die and be rebuilt, time and again. Lived numerous lives and seen countless more pass. She is a woman on a mission, and each step forward, every victory claimed, brings her closer to the truth.
1. Chapter 1

**Full summary:**

 **She had seen the world die and rebuild, time and again. Lived numerous lives and seen countless more pass. She is a woman on a mission, each step forward, every victory claimed, brings her closer to the truth.**

 **Fruitless, after fruitless search, the sight of familiar symbols etched on alien architecture front page steers her to space-to an answer sought for, a truth that would finaly give her journey an end.**

* * *

Azure light touch the feminine figure sat quiet in a still room. Slim fingers caressed the glass divide separating the living from a suffocating death. Eyes black as the empty space gazed at the retreating image of a blue orb. Earth.

"Miss Jackson?"

The woman by the window remained where she was, not turning, nor her gaze wavering "Yes?"

"Admiral Drescher is waiting in the lobby."

"Send him in."

"Yes." the man in white uniform gave a hurried bow before turning. The sound of the airlock close indicating his departure.

The woman called Jackson returned to her musings.

Minutes passed before silence broke, and the sound of a 'whoosh', followed by a click bounced off grey slate walls and grey panel floors. Claps of footsteps grew louder as the owner came nearer, until, attack against metal ceased, and silence once more descended in the room.

She eyed the person at the distance. The man stood straight, biceps taut, shoulders pushed back, wide, inescapable under the room's archway.

He regarded her with the same intensity she regarded him. Though, the admiral, did not veil his affect, and made his scrutiny of her clear as the light of day. He was dressed in Military Casuals. An ensemble of a white shirt, camouflage cargos and black combat boots.

Jackson motioned a hand towards a sofa "Please. Sit

Drescher responded by arching a brow, but complied. The admiral settles himself on the chair, the polished leather squeaking against his weight.

"You and I have much to discuss, Mr. Drescher"

"And this is about...What? Miss-"

"Jackson"

"-Miss Jackson"

The woman leaned in, elbows resting atop her thighs, hands clasped underneath a slithly upturned chin "Shanxi, admiral"


	2. Chapter 2

War spares no one. Ordinary people become soldiers, through limited sources they make use of what they have at hand, and save as many as could be saved in a given moment. Some stand tall in the face of uncertainty, and some on their feet barely erect on wobbly knees; they fight knowing that any second they spend afield, protecting the lives of each individual secured in their homes, could be their last.

In the year 2157, an encounter with an alien race caused panic among the humans. For a reason not then known to mankind, the aliens had been hostile and fired at the units that were tasked to reactivate a dormant relay near the human colony Shanxi.

One human star-ship survived and recounted what had come to pass. The Alliance, in response, sent retaliatory forces and destroyed the alien vessels responsible for the assault. The result, an escalation to war.

Gradually, the alien fleet broke through the human naval forces defending Shanxi and attacked the colony. With scarce resources, soldiers fighting opposition had begun to starve unwilling to sacrifice civilians to procure necessities they'd need for upkeep. Sparing the people of Shanxi more casualties, a General Williams was forced to surrender.

A battle won, and the aliens became complacent. A month passed, the Alliance sent a second fleet led by one Admiral Kastanie Drescher. He caught the aliens unaware and successfully drove them out Shanxi.

Recovery of the human colony served as the catalyst for a full-scale war. However, before preparations amounted to further bloodshed, the disturbance caused by the warring species' was mediated upon by a third party.

Comprise of a variety of alien races, a governing entity, the Citadel Council brokered for peace.

Terms were negotiated closed doors, and individuals participating were chosen by their respective organizations to cover scope of considerations that must be addressed by both party.

"This is an armistice," a woman said, black eyes trained hard on the man towering over her "Humanity is at a disadvantage-"

"We are not-" the man said, glaring at her "We were able to take back Shanxi. These abominations can be killed just like any other creature known to man."

"And like most creatures, admiral, it **is** possible that they learn from past miscalculations."

"That's why we strategize, woman!" The towering soldier growled, Kastanie Drescher's eyes were ablaze, but there's a lack of focus to his gaze, unseeing for all its seething.

Amidst the muted hum and tiny lights blinking within grey slates, they stood ground, and in their eyes a warring of wills.

"It is an admirable feat to have driven them back, admiral. But whose to say you will not fall should the negotiations side that peace will not be an option? These are creatures with a technology leagues more advance than our own could ever hope to be."

"If I die there'll be more to take my place and continue where I couldn't." He shook his head, though his posture remained upright there was a weariness to him, miniscule where his body was trained to show strength but evident in the tone of his skin, the color of his lips, the bruising under his eyes "Six hundred twenty-three of our people died in that war. Many of them good men who gave up their futures to protect everyone in that colony. Are you telling me they sacrificed their lives, all, for the sake of nothing?"

"Not at all."

The admiral let out a frustrated groan, a touch impatient, a touch pleading at end "You weren't there, Miss Jackson." He rubbed his eyes with one hand arched over the bridge of his nose "I saw whole city blocks turn into craters. All of those people snuffed, just like that. Men I knew, trained with, and laughed with for years, disintegrated like they never were. It's not something I could forget, whatever the circumstance."

"I have read the reports. Majority of the casualties dealt humanity had been civilian deaths," Jackson cupped her elbows in both her hands, and lounged on her desk facing the admiral.

"You just **read** the results, Miss Jackson. I **lived** through it." Admiral Kastanie growled, chin raised, and eyes mocking "Unless you've seen what I've seen, nothing you can say can change my mind on the matter."

"To what end? There is nothing that can be done for those that have died. But there is, for those that still live. We are being offered a way to settle this without endangering any more of the people. That includes the men under your wing however much it is your duty to defend humanity. I believe it wise if we were to take it."

"You can't really be considering this?!" The admiral shouted, his voice booming throughout the room, the vibrations in the air as aggrivated as the one that caused disruption. "They can't be trusted!"

"I agree, though we have little choice in the matter. In this, humanity is that which is foreign to them; them that have formed history parallel to ours; them that has long been a community in this galaxy we are only beginning to open eyes to." Miss Jackson raked a hand through her hair, her brows furrowed in thought. "We are dealing with more than one race we have no knowledge of. If it were simply those that wronged us, dear admiral, I would not be adverse to retribution. Humanity may even win. But as it is, there are more factors we need now consider. More hands are at play."

Admiral Kastanie Drescher heaved a long sigh and fell on one of the chairs in Jackson's room. The leather cushions squealed under his weight, the noise making the tension between the admiral and the woman almost palpable. "I can't promise you anything, but I'll keep in mind what we've discussed here today."

"That is enough, admiral. My thanks to you."

And with nothing more said the admiral left miss Jackson's room; humanity's fate, his along a few others, to decide.

It had taken weeks to settle dispute between the two warring race. The negotiations proceeded that the aliens- discovered to be called Turians- were to recompense for the loss humanity suffered during the conflict.

Peace had been implemented, mankind acquainted with the various alien species known throughout Citadel space. Though the struggle between humans and turians were put to an end, animosity is felt still, the remnants of war seeds of mistrust


End file.
